1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to merchandise display systems that are attached to a display board or a wire display rack. More particularly, the present invention relates to display systems that either prevent the rapid removal of items of merchandise from the display system or prevent removal of items of merchandise when the display system is locked. Specifically, the invention relates to display systems that can be locked to a display board to prevent the removal of the entire display system and attached merchandise from the display rack and that can only be unlocked using a specially configured magnetic key.
2. Background Information
Items of merchandise are commonly displayed for sale on long protruding rods supported from peg board or slat board. These protruding rods are commonly referred to in the art as peg board hooks or slat board hooks. Similar rods may also protrude from a wire display rack for the same purpose. Usually, the items of merchandise are of a smaller range, such as batteries or small tools or other components. Such merchandise is an easy target for shoplifters because they can rapidly remove all of the items from a display system and remove the merchandise from the store without being detected. Alternately, the entire display system with all the merchandise thereon can be removed from peg boards and the like if they are not locked thereon.
The prior art discloses various devices and mechanisms for securing the end of a display rod to a display board. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,258 to Leyden includes a Z-shaped plate which has two legs that clamp a section of a display wall or display board therebetween. A pair of screws extend between the two legs. Consequently, the only way to detach that end of the display rod is to use a screwdriver to release the screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,497 to Maule has an upright support that connects the first ends of two spaced apart rods together. The rods are fixed to the upright support and the upright support, in turn, is fixed to a supporting wall, or display board, by fasteners. A thief would have to detach the entire upright support from the wall and even then, the first ends of the rods are fixed into the support so the merchandise would not be releasable from the display system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,478 to Huehner et al, assigned to the present assignee, discloses a security device that is used to lock a peg hook to a pegboard support and thereby prevent unauthorized removal of the peg hook together with the products displayed thereon. The security device includes a locking base assembly that prevents the removal of the device without the use of a specially designed key. The locking base assembly includes an inner base and an outer base. The outer base slidingly engages the inner base. A flange protrudes outwardly from either side of inner base and these flanges are received in slots in the outer base as the inner and outer bases are engaged. At least one of the flanges includes a protruding lock member that catches and locks against a ledge in the outer base. A set of key holes is provided in the outer base. The base assembly can only be unlocked when pins from a specially designed key are inserted through the key holes to depress the lock member and thereby disengage the same from the ledge.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,178,678, issued to Mansfield et al, and assigned to the present assignee, discloses a merchandise display hook used to display items of merchandise from a support structure. A base assembly slidably engages a rod on the display hook. The base assembly includes a magnetically-actuatable lock that engages a portion of the rod. When the lock is in an unlocked position, the base assembly can slidingly move along the rod and the display hook can be removed from the support. When the lock is in a locked condition, the base assembly cannot slidingly move along the rod and the display hook is therefore locked onto the support. The lock is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position by way of a key that includes a magnet. The key is placed on the exterior surface of the base assembly in the proximity of the lock. The magnet in the key magnetically attracts the lock toward the exterior surface of the base assembly, and thereby disengages the lock from the rod.
U.S. Publication No. 2006/0157431, to Nagelski et al, and assigned to the present assignee, discloses a lock mechanism for a display rod that secures merchandise thereon and a special magnetic key for unlocking the same. The security device includes a lock with a magnetically attractable plunger housed in a chamber therein. The plunger moves linearly within the chamber between a locked position and an unlocked position. When the plunger is in the locked position it engages the display rod and prevents merchandise from being removed therefrom. When the plunger is in the unlocked position it does not engage the display rod and merchandise may therefore be removed from the rod. While the chamber is proximate the exterior surface of the device, it's existence and position would not be evident from a simple external examination of the device. Similarly, because of the key comprises a magnet that is completely surrounded by a housing, a simple external examination of the key would not reveal that there is a magnet in its interior. Even if it was determined that a magnet was needed to unlock the device, the location of the locking mechanism would be difficult to determine without spending a considerable amount of time manipulating the device and a bar magnet. This time spent would make it more likely that the thief will be caught in the act. The specially designed magnetic key for use by authorized personnel is disclosed in the publication as having a locating tab that must be engaged in a positioning groove in the exterior surface of the security device. This correctly positions the magnet on the exterior surface of the device and adjacent the locking mechanism. If the locating tab is not engaged in the positioning groove, then the magnet will not be correctly positioned on the security device's exterior surface, the plunger will not move and the device will remain locked.
In the above two merchandise display systems, a considerable amount of effort has to be applied by a thief to remove the display system from a display board. This makes it difficult to steal the items of merchandise thereon. However, it also makes it difficult for the retailer to reposition the display system on a display board.
There is therefore a need in the art to provide a merchandise display system that prevents the removal of the display system from a peg board, but is at the same time both easily and quickly released for repositioning on the peg board.